(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a random character selector device. In particular, it relates to a heads-tail coin selection device as a pseudo coin toss device.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 1,986,838, patented Jan. 8, 1935, by George D. Manville, provided a random selection device in the form of a machine including a spinnable wheel provided with a full deck of playing cards including the "joker." It included means whereby the wheel could be spun and then be manually stopped at will in an endeavour to register a desired card of the deck at a give index position. The machine included a wheel which rotated freely when activated by a hand crank, which was connected to a spinning mechanism. An automatic brake device was controlled by the crank released the carrier for spinning action and permitted the brake to act, at the player's will, to stop the wheel. A centering device registered a halted card with the index. Means, controlled by the crank, released the brake to permit the centering action.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,043,047, patented Jun. 2, 1936, by Andres Flores Lairet, provided a random display device for randomly selecting one of a plurality of indicia which were located around the perimeter of a rotating disc. The disc was manually activated by a lever having teeth which engaged a gear that was connected to the rotating disc. By engaging the gear with the lever, rotational motion was imparted to the gear and the wheel was rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,095,367, patented Oct. 12, 1937, by Bernard O. Mattson, provided a random selection device in the form of a mechanism in which revolving members cooperating with each other were used to provide a selection by lot or chance. The device had two spinning disc components which were mounted on a common axis of rotation. When one of the discs was rotated, the other disc was urged to follow the spinning motion due to a flexible connection between the two discs. When the discs came to a stopped position, a window on the front disc displayed a number on the rear disc.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,121,494, patented Jun. 21, 1938, by Alfred R. Babcock, provided a nonrepeating indicator, which was adapted for use in connection with games, and sales promotion contests. The device included a frame having a shaft upon which a plurality of independent rotatable member was journalled. Means were provided for simultaneously imparting rotation to the members. Such means included a crank arm which was fixed to the shaft and had a pivotally connected driving arm which was adapted to engage and drive the rotatable members. It also included a manually operable handle which was adapted to turn the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,180,029, patented Nov. 14, 1939, by Alfred R. Babcock, provided a random selector for a game of chance. The selector device included an oscillatable shaft and a hollow rotor which was journalled on the shaft and was provided with circumferentially disposed characters. A ratchet-wheel and pawl mechanism was provided for imparting rotation to the rotor from the shaft in a forward direction and for restraining it in the opposite direction. A plurality of axially-disposed cross bars divided the inside of the rotor into notches corresponding in number with the teeth in the ratchet-wheel. A weighted aligning member within the rotor was adapted to tumble into any one of the notches when the speed of rotation was slow. The rotor had inwardly-extending barbs to engage the aligning member and to carry it forward and beyond its lowermost position as the rotor stopped its forward rotation, so that the aligning member reversed the direction of rotation of the rotor until it was stopped by the ratchet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,823, patented Jul. 12, 1960, by Normand W. Gilbert, provided a game in the shape of a baseball in a hollow spheroidal shell. A pair of oppositely disposed trunnions projected radially-inwardly from diametrically-opposed portions of the shell, the ends of the oppositely-disposed trunnions being spaced apart. An indicator member consisting of a hollow cylinder having a cylindrical passage extended therethrough into which the trunnions projected. The hollow cylinder was loosely carried on the trunnions for free rotation thereon. The outside cylindrical surface of the hollow cylinder had legends thereon. The shell had a window therein through which the legends may be observed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,145, patented Jan. 31, 1989, by Leonardo J. Arevalo, provided a compact, portable accessory for selecting the numbers to play in a game of chance. The device included a number generator portion comprising a number disc or wheel, with its circumferential edge partitioned into segments, each bearing a different numerical indicia from the field of numbers to be selected for in the lottery. A motor or other drive means was connected to the number wheel so that when the motor was activated by a switch, the number wheel spun or rotated about the motor axis. The number wheel and motor were contained in a housing having a window portion aligned so that only one of the numerical indicia of the number wheel was visible through the window at a time. Thus, when the switch was closed, the number wheel spun beneath the window, and when the switch was subsequently opened, the wheel slowed to a halt to display a single number through the window. Accordingly, by repetitive activation of the switch, a series of more or less random numbers were generated and displayed to the user. The housing formed a relatively small, cylindrical barrel, which was suitable for attachment to a similarly-sized accessory portion, e.g., a writing instrument. Thus a combined number generator/pen can be carried in the user's pocket, and be used both to select the numbers to be played in a lottery, as well as to mark the lottery ticket with those numbers selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,411, patented Oct. 24, 1989, by L. Turner disclosed a portable, hand-operated mechanical random number selection device that also included a mechanism for marking a lottery sheet for the indicated numbers. The means for generating a substantially-random first pattern, included a cage, cage-biasing means, and a plurality of balls. The cage was moveable between a vertically-extended normal configuration enabling random horizontal movement of the balls within said cage, and a vertically-collapsed printing configuration fixing the balls against horizontal movement within the cage and forcing the balls downwardly. The cage-biasing mans biased the cage to its vertically-extended normal configuration and thereby permitted the balls to assume the first pattern after the cage was randomly shaken.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,271, patented Dec. 12, 1989, by Robert L. Brown, provided a game device, e.g., a lottery number selection device, that produced random numbers. That device included an upper disc, a lower disc, and a center planar support, having two aperture holes and a handle. The upper disc and the lower disc had inertia weights affixed thereto for gyration. The upper disc bore a number of protruding pegs that served as a number eliminator. The center support had two viewing ports at a calculated separation on a linear radial from the center axis to align with the opposing numbers group disc. The operation of the device was provided by pure mechanical forces including inertia and hand leverage to provide random numbers in conjunction with a cluster peg disc to conceal given numbers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,796, patented Jan. 15, 1991, by Lawrence L. Peacock, provided a device for selecting random numbers. The device included a wheel having a plurality of rest positions, each rest position having a distinct number associated therewith, the distinct numbers forming the set of numbers which are selectable in the lottery game. A plurality of balls is placed on the wheel, with the number of balls corresponding to the quantity of numbers to be selected to form the subset of numbers forming the entry. The wheel was designed to cause each ball to assume one of the rest positions such that a distinct number was selected for each ball. The entry comprised the subset of numbers which were selected by the plurality of balls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,648, patented Jun. 23, 1992, by Frank A. Schmidt, provided a device for selecting a number, letter or other symbol. The patented device included a body which can be held in the hand of a user and which carried a wheel which was adapted to be manually spun relative to the body to different settings not predeterminable by the user. During the spinning operation, the user could not see the different numbers of other markings, but when the wheel was stopped the view could actuate a viewing member relative to the body and wheel to a position exposing the selected marking. The viewing member preferably served a dual function of exposing one of the markings to view and at the same time locking the wheel against rotation from that particular setting. The viewing member may be spring urged to one of its two positions and be manually actuable to the other position. Desirably, the spring yieldingly urged the member to a position in which the wheel was free for rotation and the numbers were out of view. It was manually actuable to a position locking the wheel against rotation and exposing the particular selected number to view. The wheel may have peripheral teeth projecting beyond the body and which are adapted to be engaged by a user's hand to spin the wheel, with those same teeth being engageable by the viewing member to lock the wheel against rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,659, patented Jun. 30, 1992, by Leon Garbee, disclosed a portable, mechanically-operated random number selection device which included a revolving drum, a plurality of number-containing disks placed inside the drum, and a slot on the drum for permitting the number-containing disks to exit from the drum in a random manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,023, patented Jan. 17, 1995, by John W. Roberts, et al, provided a random number generator structure which included a plurality of wheels to generate a like plurality of numbers. The wheels were arranged within a tubular housing and were rotatably mounted within the housing and were arranged for spinning within the housing for viewing of individual numbers through an individual window which was associated with each respective wheel. In one embodiment, the user wound the disc about an axis, and a helical spring imparted rotational motion to the disc. In another embodiment, a series of gears was activated by a motor which was controlled by a switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,393, patented Dec. 6, 1994, by James A. Taylor, et al, provided a random number selection apparatus including a base and an axle projecting perpendicularly from a center portion of the base. A random-number-containing wheel was supported by the axle, was juxtaposed next to the base, and was rotatable on the axle. The wheel contained a plurality of selectable numbers and a plurality of selectable wells associated with the selectable numbers. A selector wheel assembly was supported by the axle, was juxtaposed to the random-number-containing wheel, and was rotatable on the axle. It included a well-selector portion and a first number-viewing window. The well-selector portion was adapted to be manually randomly positioned in registration with a randomly chosen selectable well on the random-number-containing wheel. The first number-viewing window was adapted to be positioned in registration with a randomly chosen selectable number on the random-number-containing wheel that was associated with the chosen well. A retainer assembly was supported by brackets which were connected to the base and was juxtaposed next to the selector wheel assembly, to retain the selector wheel assembly and the random-number-containing wheel on the axle. It included a second number-viewing window which was adapted to be placed in registration with the first number-viewing window for viewing a randomly chosen selectable number. A manually-held selector assembly was capable of cooperating with the well-selector portion of the selector wheel assembly for randomly choosing a selectable well on the random-number-containing wheel.